Recently, after identification, the Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport Customs, which belongs to Hangzhou Customs, has previously seized 2 items in the export express channel and confirmed as paleontological fossil products. The fossils are fossils of the extinct species Placenticeras meeki or alternating placenticeras intercalare, commonly known as ammonite fossils. The fossil snail is a type of nautilus fossil, a long-extinct ancient snail fossil that lived in the ocean about 65 million to 400 million years ago and was also the golden age of dinosaurs on Earth. This is the first time that Hangzhou Customs has seized fossil paleontological products in the express channel. At present, these 2 fossil products have been handed over to the anti-smuggling department for further processing.
On the day of the seizure, a company declared a batch of export express mail to the Customs of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport, and the declared product was called decorative glass craft ornaments. During the X-ray machine inspection, the customs inspector found that the image was abnormal and did not match the declared goods. After opening the box and inspecting, the customs officer found that the items in the package were 2 disc-shaped stones with animal patterns, with brilliant colors, showing red, green and blue-purple colors, as well as a "dragon scale-like" fragmented structure, which was far from the general glass crafts, and suspected paleontological fossils. After identification, it was confirmed that these two items were fossilized paleontological products.
Customs alerts
According to Article 33 of the Regulations on the Protection of Paleontological Fossils, those who transport, mail or carry paleontological fossils out of the country shall truthfully declare to the Customs and submit to the Customs the exit approval documents of the competent department of land and resources under the State Council or the competent department of land and resources of the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government. In accordance with the Regulations on the Protection of Paleontological Fossils and other relevant provisions, the Customs supervises the export of paleontological fossils, severely cracks down on illegal acts of entering and leaving the country, and resolutely maintains the order of import and export.
Source: Hangzhou Customs Release